Insects, such as mosquitoes and flies, are a common irritation for humans and animals alike. Insects can be especially irritating for horses or other animals having large moist eyes that attract flies and other insects. Besides discomfort, insects may also cause infection or spread disease to such animals by biting the animal or crawling on and around the animal's eyes, or other parts of the animal's body.
For example, insects such as flies may pick up bacteria when landing on other animals, garbage, manure piles or other bacteria laden items. Flies may then spread this bacteria to an animal by biting it or by crawling on or around the animal's eyes or other part of its body. When considering that flies may travel several miles and land many times a day, flies may pick up and transmit a variety of harmful bacteria to a number of animals.
The discomfort and disease spread by such insects may also negatively impact the people who care for such animals. For example, the bites of insects and/or their presence on a horse's eyes may cause a sudden reaction by the horse which could injure someone nearby. And where a person is on the horse, insect bites and/or insects crawling on or around the eyes of a horse can distract the horse and cause sudden movements which could injure the rider.
Different products have been developed to protect horses and other animals from insects. Horse masks, for example, have been developed to physically prevent insects from contacting the eyes or face of a horse. However, those horse masks may be made of heavily woven fabric that may reduce the visibility of the animal wearing them. In addition, they may be cumbersome and uncomfortable for the horse to wear.
Insect repellent creams, ointments or sprays have also been used as chemical repellents to insects from contacting the face or eyes of animals. Oftentimes, these materials comprise synthetic chemicals that are applied directly to a horse near the horse's eyes or to the horse mask.
However, it is undesirable for such repellents, especially those made of synthetic chemicals, to enter an animal's eyes or other area for which the repellent is not intended. This may unfortunately occur, however, because repellent applied near a horse's eyes may still migrate too near or into the eyes, or because sprays may be difficult to direct to a specific area. Furthermore, the protection from such materials may last for only a limited time. Accordingly, repeated application may be required to effectively protect the animal, which may prove burdensome for the person applying the repellent material.
Other existing masks have also comprised an anthelmintic mesh impregnated or otherwise coated with a pesticide or other chemical that resists insects. However, such chemical pesticides may also be harmful to the horse or person caring for the horse, and may also pollute or otherwise harm the environment.
In view of the foregoing, there exists a need for an animal mask that includes an insect repellent compound that provides safety and comfort to the animals wearing them and safety to the humans caring for such animals. There is also a need for such a compound that repels insects for longer periods of time and that is environmentally friendly. There is also a need for an insect repellent compound for other uses such as with window or door screens for houses or other buildings.